Pandora's Box
by MissingPerson
Summary: 2 years before the end of the Mandalorian War, Jedi Investigator Tophur Rand is called in to investigate the disappearance of an old friend. An old friend who has disappeared whilst in possession of an artefact of great power. Dark side power.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Star Wars is the Property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm/Lucasarts. The characters who appear in this story are mine. Don't sue me please! **

**A/N: After something of a hiatus from the site (books take a long time to write!) I'm back with my next fan fic. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 1 – The Sullustan**

_Blue Light Parade_ sped through hyperspace surrounded in a swirling kaleidoscope of blue and white clouds. Not that its passengers noticed or cared. The big passenger liner could be floating in the vacuum of space for all the attention they paid. A few remained locked in their cabins, either alone or with company. Most were occupying the trip on the ship's casino deck, idling their time with hands of sabbacc.

The din was impressive, and for Tadra Di's ears, painful. He never understood how the high-pitched laughter of some of the females could be considered attractive. The diminutive Sullustan winced as he passed by one table, where a human female let out a shrill whoop as she laid down a winning hand of cards, and scooped up a large pile of credit chits. Tadra Di scurried away from the table and the painful babble as quickly as he could, and crossed the casino deck to one of the observation lounges. His big eyes darted left and right, but he couldn't see anyone who paid him any attention.

He let out a relieved sigh as the door hissed shut behind him, cutting out most of the noise to a low murmur. It was dark in the observation lounge, the only source of light coming from the whirling patterns of the hyperspace tunnel beyond the viewport, producing a shimmering gloaming.

It had been a severe mistake taking the _Blue Light Parade_. But the ship had been the first available craft leaving Ossus that would take him anywhere near to Dantooine. With any luck, he would be able to get transport on another, less crowded vessel to the Jedi Enclave. He had already left a message with them. They would know what to do with it, and Tophur would be there to take it. He could trust him.

He clutched his hands around the satchel slung over one shoulder. The object was sealed inside a plasteel cylinder, but he could still feel it, as if it radiated a cold, terrible aura. That it was of Sith origins, he had no illusions. The markings around the chamber it had been discovered in were in an old Sith dialect. As if the terrible cold it emitted wasn't confirmation enough.

Tadra Di shook his head to clear such idiotic thoughts. Academically, there was no way the object could affect him so. It was just his own imagination at work. Not that it was helped much by the terrible fear that clawed at him ever since he'd fled the dig site, bloody rock still clenching in one hand, the artefact clutched in another.

Had he killed Jool? The blow had been hard, and there was so much blood ...

But what choice did he have? The human had been trying to kill him, for Sith's sake!

Tadra Di didn't understand. What had driven Jool to act like that? He had always seemed so calm and collected. True, he had been eager to enter the buried temple, and had jostled to be first into the chamber, but he was always so, _logical_.

Perhaps I just don't understand human motivations and emotions, Tadra Di thought. It was entirely possible. He much preferred spending his time absorbed in his holo-logs or down on dig sites on dead worlds that dealing with actual living sentients. The dead didn't question you. Or try to kill you.

Pushing the thoughts from his mind, Tadra Di stepped up to the viewport and leaned against the supported rail, almost pushing his nose against the thick transparisteel pane. He found the shifting patterns of light calming, soothing his nerves. Hyperspace was such an enigma. No one quite knew what it was, or how it worked outside of realspace. It was a shame that his abilities didn't lie in astrophysics; Tadra Di would have loved to attempt to solve that puzzle. Instead, he was quite content to watch the pseudo-fabric.

Tadra Di was so entranced by the shifting patterns, that he didn't notice the door to the lounge open and close, nor that he was no longer alone until the newcomer stepped up to stand at the rail next to him. He clutched his satchel tighter and stared up at her.

She was a Twi'lek, the shimmer from hyperspace playing on her smooth, blue skin. Her face was perfect, with a small nose and pouting lips. A scarf had been wrapped around her head, leaving her lekku to hang down her back. Unusually, they had been tattooed in black bands and markings. Some of them were familiar to him, though he couldn't quite place them. Her white missionary's tunic and skirt were unusually tight and clung to her svelte form, and between the folds of her skirt he glimpsed long athletic legs. He could feel his body reacting to her closeness: his face flushed, and when her blue lips parts to smile, his ears turned pink. She was very pretty. A part of him knew it was just a physical reaction to the a particular set of societal rules for physical beauty that he, as a humanoid, adhered to on a base level, but he didn't give a damn. She was alluring, even dressed in plain missionary white. A traitorous thought wondered what she would look like in a slave's costume. He suppressed it.

'Hello,' Tadra Di squeaked.

'Hello,' she replied, in perfect Sullustese. Her voice was silky and soft. 'I take it gambling is not your scene?'

He shook his head, not trusting himself to speak.

She flashed him a dazzling smile again, and the tip of one of her lekku twitched. 'I also. Gambling always struck me as a fool's pastime. Not that the mission would let us gamble anyway.'

Tadra Di smiled nervously.

'So what brings you to a ship like this, if not the casinos?'

'T-travelling.'

She laughed softly. 'So I see. But forgive me for saying, you don't seem much like a people person to me.'

'First ship I could find that was leaving Ossus.'

She cocked an eyebrow. 'Desperate to leave, I take it? I can understand that. It is such a shame the planet was decimated during the war. I imagine there would have been much to see before. Sadly, no more. Just dust and toxic clouds.'

Tadra Di opened his mouth to tell her that the world held a vast repository of Jedi and Sith artefacts, but shut it instantly. He was supposed to keep a low profile. If anyone knew what he was carrying, he would be a dead man, and no doubt. Not that she seemed to notice. Instead, she stared out the viewport, lost in her own thoughts as one finger slowly traced patterns on the transparisteel.

'I'll admit, I'm not much of a fan of these passenger ships myself. But this was the first ship the mission could get me on. I'm joining the Fallastar Mission on Taris. Have you heard of it?'

Tadra Di shook his head.

'I'm not surprised. Few sapients have. We are a small sect, dedicated to health and wellbeing. We're Sisters mainly, of many races. And the force knows, places such as Taris need our help. There are so many destitute living in the undercity.'

'Are you all related?' Tadra Di asked.

'Pardon?'

Tadra Di cleared his throat. 'You said you were all sisters.'

She laughed. 'No, silly. We are sisters of the soul.'

He nodded and stared at her dumbly, not knowing what to say.

The _Blue Light Parade_ shuddered as it dropped out of hyperspace 3,000 kilometres above Taris.

The internal comms crackled. 'Would all passengers bound for Taris please head to deck two. Repeat, all passengers for Taris please head to deck two. The ship will be docking in one hour.'

The woman smiled happily. 'Well, this is my stop. I should be heading to disembarkation. It was a pleasure talking to you.'

She gave a little wave and left the observation lounge. Tadra Di watched her go in a daze. He'd barely said a word to her, and she called that talking? Now that she was gone, he felt as if a breeze wafted through the lounge now that she was gone. He let out a long sigh. He was never comfortable around females. Never knew quite what to say to them. And now she was gone, he just felt relieved. There was something odd about her. Still his hands clutched his satchel tightly.

Alone again, he moved to sit on one of the couches as the ship dropped into a high orbit above Taris. It matched velocity with one of the orbital stations and swooped down toward it.

The station was a big spoked wheel, sitting in geosynchronous orbit above the northern continent. A centre spire rose above the main wheel, and as the passenger liner drew closer, Tadra Di could perceive the long, spindly docking arms that protruded from the wheel. It was to one of those arms that _Blue Light Parade_ was heading for, braking thrusters firing to slow its approach.

Beyond the station, Taris spun sedately. They were on the night-side of the planet, the continents glowing with the light of millions of streetlights. A few areas were darker than others, indicating the poorest sectors of the ecumenopolis that were unable to keep the majority of their lighting active as they slowly deteriorated, but the rest more than made up for it, blazing with a radiance that almost equalled the star's.

With a light touch belying its size, the big passenger ship docked with a loud _clang_.

Tadra Di's ears twitched. There was the docking collar locking mechanism. The low whirr was the umbilical receptacle closing solidly over feedlines and securing them in place. The hiss as pressure in the docking tube equalised, followed by a whump as the egress hatch unlocked. Followed by a murmur of conversation as passengers left the ship under the direction of the stewards. All orderly and normal. There was no sudden sharp noise of locks thudding into place. No sound of angry voices as security personnel marched onto the ship, barging passengers out of the way. No sound of running feet coming for him.

Maybe he had gotten away. Another jump would put the ship at Borgo Prime. Then perhaps he would know for sure. Tadra Di sat back in his chair and tried to relax. But it was very difficult.

* * *

Three hours later, _Blue Light Parade_ undocked from the station. Its big ion engines fired up, pushing the ship out of Taris' gravity well. Once it was clear, the navigator spent another twenty minutes ensuring that the astrogation computer's calculations were correct, and the ship was properly lined up for its jump to Borgo Prime. When he was satisfied, the captain gave the order.

There was a sudden blur of pseudomotion as the passenger liner leapt into hyperspace, and disappeared from the station's sensors.

Lika watched the ship as it departed, her lekku twitching from head to tip.

Several males wandering past glanced at her in appreciation, but she ignored them. One fool even attempted to engage her in conversation despite her missionary clothing, until a sharp, contemptuous stare sent him scurrying away. She could sense the few Twi'lek giving her odd stares, but then they would be the only ones who would understand what the shivers running up and down her lekku meant.

Excitement. Eagerness.

Raising her arm, she tapped her access code into her comm bracelet. Moments later, a light came on, indicating that she had a connection through the holonet.

'Report,' came the terse response.

'Master, the Sullustan has the artefact, as our spy reported.'

'Excellent. Is it genuine?'

'I believe so, Master.'

'Don't think, Lika. Feel.'

'I could feel it, Master. It's a wonder the Sullustan can remain so close to it and not be affected by it.'

'Intriguing. That the device retains its power after all this time is certainly promising.'

'Is it wise to let the Sullustan continue with it? I could have taken it from him with ease.'

'All in good time, my dear. He has already contacted the Jedi. All they would need to do is examine the security logs, and they would track you with ease. This way, we shall give ourselves a little leeway. He must get off the ship at Borgo Prime. He will be vulnerable there.'

'Yes, Master.'

'Very good. Your shuttle is waiting for you in bay 12a. Take it to Ord Mantell. I have a new assignment for you there.'

'Thank you, Master.'

The comm link closed, and Lika turned away from the viewport, sauntering off down the corridor to the main concourse. From there she turned off toward the small craft bays.

She smiled to herself. It was a shame she wouldn't be able to deal with the Sullustan herself. He would have been so much fun to play with.

* * *

**A/N: Review please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Phew! Been a busy couple of weeks since I uploaded the first chapter, most of it spent creating my new website (address on my profile), and sending sample packs off to agents.**

**Anyhoo, on with the next chapter. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 2 – the Jedi part one**

'I don't need your protection,' Van Darlok said snootily. The short, stub of a human heaved his massive frame into his oversized, bantha-leather chair and leaned back. Despite the height difference, compounded by the fact the merchant had sat down, Van Darlok still managed to stare down his nose at the two Jedi.

'I am confident in the skills of my personal bodyguard. The best Echani money can buy. I have no need of Jedi.' He gestured to the two guards dressed in Echani combat suits, standing silently on either side.

Tophur Rand suppressed the disgusted look that threatened to cross his face, and took a deep, calming breath, repeating the Jedi mantra to himself.

_There is no emotion, there is only peace._

'As I already said to you, Sir, we are not here to protect you. Myself and my colleague have been tracking the perpetrator of several murders among high level merchants, such as yourself. We believe they all had dealings with a local loan shark called Dax, with whom they recently severed ties.' Dien Dok'fur said. Tophur was impressed the Caamasi Jedi Consulor kept his voice so calm.

'Preposterous! I have never lowered myself to associate with such scum. I am a model citizen of the Republic, honourable and legitimate. You can't come in here and accuse me –'

Tophur took a step closer to Van's desk. The surface was kashyyk-wood that had been polished until it glowed. Like all the furnishings in Van Darlok's office on the eightieth floor of the Thallaroy Tower, it was very expensive. The floor was covered in a plush, burgundy carpet, whilst various statuettes sat on pedestals along the wall. He was fairly certain that a number of them were of long-dead famous Jedi. Behind the desk the wall had been replaced with a big, floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the Coruscant city-scape. Repulsorcraft flitted past outside in a constant stream. If Van Darlok had acquired even a fraction of his collection through legitimate business practices, then he was a far better person that Tophur gave him credit. If he was legitimate, then Tophur was the son of a Sith.

'We are not accusing you of anything. I am an investigator. I _know_ you have had interactions with Dax on several occasions, and that you, like your ex-partner, Gotu, severed connections with him quite recently. Gotu kept excellent records right up until his untimely death last week. I'm sure you heard about it. After all, that was around the time that you started to hire your protection, yes?'

The fat little merchant paled.

_There is no ignorance, there is knowledge._

'To be frankly honest with you,' Tophur continued. 'I couldn't care less whether you are legitimate or not. I am not here to investigate you. I am here to stop a sapient from murdering anyone else. Clear?'

Van Darlok nodded.

'Good. Now, Gotu and the others received a death threat before they were murdered. Have you received any?'

'Yes, just this morning.' Shaking, Van took out a small sheet of flimsy, and handed it to the Jedi.

The message was short and to the point.

You don't end your business with me. I end it with you.

It had been printed rather than handwritten, and Tophur was quite sure that an analysis would turn up no traces of fingerprints, skin follicles, scales, or any other means of identifying the individual who had produced it. Which meant there was nothing to pin it on Dax.

For a loan shark, he was a smart. Perhaps the only area he had slipped up was in how he contracted an assassin to deal with his ex-business associates. The paper trail had gone through a number of dummy businesses before a holonet message was sent. Had Tophur not already been investigating Dax, he probably would never had found it. Even so, it took weeks to identify the recipient. By then, two merchants had been killed.

Assuming of course, it was Dax. The evidence pointed to the loan shark, but his instincts were less certain. And his Master had always urged him to go with his instincts.

'Tell me about your dealings with Dax,' he asked.

The merchant stared at him uncomfortably for a few moments. Tophur wasn't sure he was going to answer him at first, but eventually he said, 'Gotu introduced us. He was a pleasant fellow. Always willing to provide gifts and parties for his friends. He was interested in my business, importing Tarisian ale, among other spirits. With his backing, I was able to secure larger shipments. Then one day, he came to me – well, an associate of his did – and requested, politely, that on some of the shipments we also transport some innocuous crates. Nothing illicit, I was told. I agreed, until Gotu told me what was in the shipments.'

'And? What were they?'

'Blasters, explosives and the like. He was using me to ship his armaments! I wasn't having it. Like I told you, Jedi, I'm a legitimate businessman. So I severed all contact. Then Gotu died.'

Tophur nodded. He was telling the truth. There wasn't a single trace of a lie in his thoughts. Though he was fairly certain it took a while before the fat little merchant got enough courage to do anything. Everything he'd gleaned from his contacts told him this Dax was to be feared. He certainly had his hands in many pockets.

'Very well, I believe you.'

The comm on Van's desk beeped. 'What is it, Gisella?'

'Sir, the representative from Ryloth is here to see you.'

'Very well, show him in.' Van looked up at Tophur. 'I'm trying to open relations with the Twi'leks to export Rhyll. They are being very cagey about their business partners.'

'We will wait outside. I think it best if we stay nearby.'

The merchant gave him a sickly smile.

'I must admit, I am impressed by your interrogation style. I did not think that you would be able to get much out of him without using the force,' Dien Dok'fur said once the doors to Van Darlok's chamber's had closed behind them, leaving them alone in the wide corridor. Paintings line the walls. All were of landscapes, though not of any planets Tophur recognised.

He shrugged. 'You'd be surprised at what a little intimidation will get you.'

'I had no idea investigators put so little faith in the Force.'

The corridor ended at a turbolift, and they took it down to the reception. The representative from Rylos stepped in as they got out, and smiled at the Jedi. Tophur frowned back at him as the doors slid shut.

'We have faith in the Force. But we are trained to use our minds as well to conduct our investigations. My Master always believed one should use one's head as well as one's intuition. That's why so many investigators spend their time working with planetary police forces. It's a comfortable fit.'

'Does that also explain your attire?'

Tophur stared down at his clothes. Like his colleague, he wore the typical robes of a jedi, but they were padded across his torso where body armour had been added. A wide leather belt was cinched around his waist, from which hung numerous pouches, his lightsaber and a blaster.

He frowned and scratched his narrow sandy beard. 'What's wrong with my clothing?'

'The armour is ... a little unorthodox. As is your blaster. Is not the lightsaber enough?'

He patted the grip of his blaster. 'I keep this for backup.'

'I see.'

'Which means you don't.'

'No, I suppose I do not. You are an anachronism, Tophur Rand. A Jedi who is not a Jedi.'

_There is no passion, there is serenity_.

Tophur raised an eyebrow at that. 'That depends on your meaning of Jedi, Dien Dok'fur.'

The Caamasi lowered his head. 'My apologies, I have insulted you.'

'There was no offence taken. Though I don't quite see how my choice of clothes affects my standing as a Jedi. But then, this was not our original point of discussion. I follow my intuition, but if I'm to arrest any suspects, guesswork is not enough. I must have physical evidence to attain a conviction.'

'I see. I must think on this. You are an interesting companion, Tophur Rand. Perhaps that is why the council placed us together to track down the killer.'

Tophur shrugged. He wasn't entirely sure why the Jedi Council had put them together, though he suspected that it was because he spent far too much time away from the Order, working alone, and Dien Dok'fur was there to keep an eye on him. But then Tophur rather liked working on his own. It meant he didn't have to listen to inane prattling. He was confident in his abilities as an investigator.

He suppressed a grunt. He could imagination the comments that thought would bring: "confidence is but a step away from arrogance. Arrogance is the path to the dark side". It seemed like the sort of thing his old tutors would say.

_There is no chaos, only harmony_.

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. There was no point in getting agitated. What is, is. Once this murderer had been caught, perhaps he could find an assignment off-world again.

Tophur frowned as a thought occurred to him. 'Didn't Van Darlok say the representative was from Ryloth?'

Dien Dok'fur nodded. 'He did.'

'Ryloth is the Twi'lek homeworld. Why would they send a human to conduct business? Why not one of their own?'

'That is odd, one must admit.'

Tophur strode over to the reception desk. Giselle was Zabrak, reaching her middle-years, her crown of vestigial horns painted with a thin veneer of gold. She stared up at the Jedi.

'May I help you, sir?'

'The individual who just went up to see the merchant. Was that the representative from Ryloth?'

She nodded. 'Yes. Mikal Thor.'

'Not a very Twi'lek name.'

'Not really, no. The original representative was a Twi'lek called Zhar Decura. Unfortunately he was suddenly taken ill. Mr Thor was his replacement.'

Tophur turned to stare at Dien Dok'fur.

An abrupt dagger of fear clawed at his mind and dragged his gaze to the ceiling. He knew the location; Van Darlok's office.

'I felt it too,' Dien Dok'fur said, drawing his lightsaber.

Moving to the lift, Tophur pressed the call button, but nothing happened. The assassin had disabled it. Reaching out with the force, he ripped the doors open. There was a groan as the durasteel protested and the doors buckled and bent, revealing a dark lift shaft, lit only by dim emergency lights.

'What are you doing?' the receptionist shrieked. 'That's private property, you can't just damage it!'

'Jedi business,' Tophur replied. 'It's this or your boss dies. Take your pick.'

Not waiting for her response, Tophur stuck his head into the shaft and looked up. Far above, he could see the bottom of the turbolift.

Dien Dok'fur appeared at his side, and the two Jedi drew grapple guns from their utility belts. There was a low _whump_ as the grapnels shot from their launchers, trailing fine cables behind them. Magnetic clamps engaged the moment they struck the bottom of the turbolift. The pair shot up into the shaft. Lights flicked past them, producing a faint strobing affect. They slowed as they reached the lift. Two quick slashes from Dien Dok'fur's lightsaber cut away the bottom and the Jedi pulled themselves into the turbolift.

Fear was still emanating from Van Darlok's office.

'We should hurry,' Dien Dok'fur said. 'I doubt this assassin will delay much longer.'

'Which begs the question as to why he hasn't killed Van Darlok already. His guards are good, but so were those of the other victims, and they are all dead. Something does not feel right about this.'

With greater care than when he'd ripped the doors open below, Tophur gently teased the upper level doors apart. There was barely a hiss as the doors silently slid open.

Two dead bodies lay on the floor of the corridor. Two of Van Darlok's Echani guards. Neither had managed to draw either their blasters or the vibroswords sheathed on their backs. On closer inspection, as Tophur crept along the corridor, he could see that they had been killed by slashes to the chest and neck. Quick and clean.

The doors to Van Darlok's office were ajar. Now that he was much closer, Tophur could sense other emotions that the sharper tenor of fear had hidden.

Expectance. Anticipation.

'He knows,' Tophur said, straightening.

'Indeed. How do you wish to play this, Investigator?'

'Follow my lead. Be prepared to protect Van Darlok if it looks like the assassin is about to kill him.'

Unclipping his lightsaber from his belt, Tophur pushed the door open and stepped into the office.

It was a mess. The desk lay on its side, ornaments and datapads scattered across the floor. One of the chairs that had sat in front of it was on its back, the seat hacked almost in two. Three more Echani lay dead on the floor, with similar wounds to the first two corpses. At least one had put up a fight, with cuts on her arms and legs, but a stab wound to her stomach indicated where her defence had failed.

The assassin stood before the big window, Van Darlok held before him, a vibroblade against his throat, humming softly. The hilt of a sword protruded from behind the assassin's left shoulder. Tophur couldn't see much of the assassin. Despite Van Darlok's shorter stature, he held himself in a half-crouch so that all he could see were gloved hands and part of a bald head.

'I am impressed. There aren't many who can take out five well-trained Echani, let alone do so quickly and without injury.'

'Compliments no mean much to me.'

'Release the merchant. You are under arrest for the murder of four merchants and one Senator, and the attempted murder of Van Darlok.'

There was a low, guttural laugh. 'Stoopah Jeedai. You no arrest me. I kill Jeedai.'

'You must realise you are hopelessly outmatched.' Tophur ignited his lightsaber with a snap-hiss, closely followed by Dien Dok'fur's.

'You no come closer, or I kill merchant.'

Van Darlok whimpered as the assassin dug the point of his blade into his neck. A bead of blood blossomed and began to fall down his throat.

'Release him.' As he spoke, Tophur pushed out with the force, backing up the force of his words.

'Jeedai mind tricks no work on me.'

Tophur smiled. 'They weren't meant to. It was jus a distraction.'

The assassin frowned. Before he could react, Dien Dok'fur seized his chance. With the Force, he yanked the vibroblade from his hand, followed by Van Darlok. The fat merchant squealed as he sailed through the air to land with a crash at Dien Dok'fur's feet.

'Surrender. You have nowhere to go.'

The assassin gave a short, snorting laugh. 'I could go through you.'

'You can try.'

'I got better plan.' He held up one hand. There was a small cylinder in his fist. Before Tophur could act, the assassin pressed the button on top.

Explosives had been planted around the edge of the window. They were small, not powerful enough to kill them, but more than enough to perform their task. The entire transparisteel window disintegrated as they detonated, showering the room with a lethal hail of fragments. Tophur ducked and dragged a chair to protect him, whilst Dien Dok'fur did the same with the desk to cover himself and Van Darlok. Hundreds of tiny transparent splinters embedded themselves in the back of the chair and the desk.

When he looked up, the assassin was still standing in front of where the window used to be, completely unharmed, though the light suit he wore had been shredded, revealing a dark, armoured bodysuit underneath. A faint shimmer of a personal shield surrounded him.

'You catch me, Jeedai!' the assassin shouted, and turned and leapt out of the ragged hole.

Tophur rushed to the hole, expecting to see the assassin plummet to his death. A breeze tugged at his clothes, but there was no hurtling body. Instead he saw the assassin, floating through the air to a roof a hundred metres away and thirty metres down, thanks to the tiny repulsorpack he wore.

He cursed. He was _not_ going to let him escape. This was the first break they'd had in weeks. He eyed the distance, and moved to the back of the office.

'Forget him,' he told Dien Dok'fur.

He broke into a sprint.

_There is no death, there is the Force._

Tophur Rand leapt out the window. A strong breeze tore at his blond hair and his robes as he sailed across the gap. He barely made it, even using the force to boost his jump. As it was, his boot thumped down onto the parapet, and slipped. He dove forward, propelling his weight into a roll that brought him fully onto the roof. He came up running.

'A Jedi should have perfect balance,' Dien Dok'fur chided him. Tophur spared a glance back to see his fellow Jedi Knight land gracefully without even needing to tumble to absorb the impact. His robes flared as they caught the wind. Tophur grunted.

It was easy for the Caamasi to say. His species had an excellent sense of balance.

On either side of them, skyscrapers rose into the early evening sky, forming a massive artificial canyon of sheer metal and transparisteel. Beyond the tops of the buildings, the Coruscant sky was turning a deep umber as the sun set.

Repulsor craft rushed past, producing a ceaseless cacophony of thruster noise and doppler-shifted horns. It was never quiet in the upper levels of Coruscant. There were always repulsorcraft coming and going in the traffic lanes. Most were above the level of the buildings, though a few of the fast lanes dropped below the roofs.

Ahead, their quarry had almost reached the end of the roof. The assassin was _fast_. But he had run out of rooftop. There were no other buildings close by whose roof he could leap onto. He halted at the edge and stared down before turning to face his pursuers.

His repulsorpack must be drained, Tophur thought with a smile.

Tophur and Dien slowed to a stop and approached slowly. For the first time, Tophur got a good look at the sapient they'd been chasing. He was fairly certain it was a male, though he couldn't be entirely certain. Whereas before he had appeared as a bald human male, now the figure was slender, almost asexual, and what he could see of the face was reptilian, with large eyes and a wide nose.

A Clawdite.

'I guess that explains why no one caught the killer on holorecordings,' he said.

Dien Dok'fur nodded. 'Enter the building as one individual, kill your target, and leave as another. Tricky.'

'Not tricky enough.' He raised his voice. 'Surrender Clawdite. You've nowhere to go now. You are under arrest.'

'Think not, Jeedai.'

The repulsorcraft rose up from below to silhouette the Clawdite. It was a big vehicle, and had probably started life as a transport of some kind. Not anymore. Armour plating covered the sides, and blaster cupolas protruded from the frame, lending it a bulbous appearance, as if it were suffering from malign growths. The original repulsors had been replaced with heavy duty models. And beneath the cabin, on either side of the spotlights, sat a pair of long-barrelled blaster cannons. Alone, the vehicle broke who knew how many Coruscant traffic bylaws. Somehow, Tophur doubted Dax cared. The vehicle was probably untraceable, and only ever came out when needed.

The blaster cannons swung to line up on the Jedi. Tophur threw himself at Dien Dok'fur, knocking him aside as they fired. The section of roof they had been standing on a moment before vaporised as the bolts struck.

When Tophur looked up, the transport was already swinging away from the rooftop, the Clawdite assassin standing at the hatch, waving at them.

'Sithspit!'

He gave a low growl and pushed himself to his feet. He was not going to let the assassin get away. Not if he could help it.

He ran after the transport. When he reached the end of the roof, he gathered all his might into his jump, and leapt. His hand reached out to grab the transport's tailfin. It wasn't until the transport moved away, and out of his reach, that he realised the stupid mistake he'd made. He flung one hand out toward the rapidly receding craft, sending a tiny black speck spinning toward it, as his arc reached its zenith.

With a wordless yell, Tophur Rand started to plummet.

* * *

**A/N: review please!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – The Jedi part two**

Air rushed past as Tophur fell.

There was nothing beneath him except a skylane three hundred metres below, busy with rush hour traffic, and beyond that a near bottomless, dark expanse, the ground hidden below a low-level layer of cloud and mist. The only surety he had was that it was over a kilometre below. More than enough distance to shatter every bone in his body on impact, jedi or not.

He started to tumble as he fell. He caught rapid flashes of light-dark-light-dark, unable to differentiate between up or down.

Tophur spread his arms wide and angled his legs to stop his mad tumble. When he got it under control, he was falling face down. By the time he got himself orientated, he was only a hundred metres above the skylane. He studied the flow of traffic. If he used the Force, he might be able to soften his impact enough to survive without any major injury. Get it wrong, and he would end up splattered across some poor sapient's windscreen.

It took a few more moments to pick the best candidate. A delivery vehicle, with a boxy rear frame. He angled for it, slowing his speed as best he could.

The transporter was closing fast. He could see the flat top surface clearly now, painted with the logo of the delivery company that owned the vehicle. He picked the centre of it as his target. The windows on the building closest to him were flashing past in a blur. Too fast. Tophur gathered the Force, forming a kinectic push to reduce his descent. It wasn't enough.

He struck the top of the transport, denting its roof and bounced off, feeling something crack in his torso. His hands scrabbled for purchase. There wasn't any. The surface was smooth plasteel. With a cry of frustration, Tophur slid off the side.

He had barely finished the cry when he landed on a wide awning. It gave way with a terrible ripping noise. He fell through to land on a table with a crash as it collapsed beneath him.

Tophur opened his eyes warily. Whether through luck or the will of the Force, he was still alive. Above, he could see the hole in the awning he'd made.

'I'm alive,' he muttered.

'You owe me a drink,' someone said. The voice was feminine and annoyed.

Two people were standing over him, a pretty Zeltron woman and a Devaronian, the latter staring down at him nervously, whilst the former arched one eyebrow, an empty fluted glass held between two fingers. Others were starting to gather now, ogling the Jedi who'd so unceremoniously appeared.

He'd landed on a restaurant balcony, one of many that protruded out into the artificial canyon.

Tophur realised it was their table which had broken his fall. Gingerly, he picked himself up, suppressing a wince as pain shot up his side. He turned to face the woman.

She was actually very beautiful, flawless bright pink skin, her purple hair left to cascade around a heart-shaped face. Despite the annoyance clear in her expression, her violet eyes gave him a blunt appraisal.

A speeder dropped down from the skylane to pull up beside the balcony.

'Jedi business. Some other time, perhaps.'

'I'll hold you to that,' she said, smiling demurely.

'Tophur Rand!'

The Jedi Investigator turned away from the woman to the speeder.

As slowed to hover at the edge of the balcony, the occupant waved at Tophur. It was Dien Dok'fur. Tophur moved over to speeder and climbed in. He could feel eyes on his back as he walked. The patrons were watching him go, but he knew one particular pair were gazing at him intently, and when he looked back, the Zeltron woman was still staring at him. After a few more moments, she turned back to her Devaronian companion. Restaurant staff were already clearing away the shattered remains of the table and bringing out another for them.

'That was a dangerous stunt you pulled, Tophur Rand,' Dien Dok'fur said. 'I am both amazed and impressed that you still live.'

'I felt it was worth the risk. And besides, I managed to plant a tracking beacon on the transport.' He took out a small pad and tuned it into the beacon's frequency.

'I am continually impressed by you. I had no idea Investigators were so devious.'

Tophur gave the Caamasi a sideways glance, unsure if he was being sarcastic or not. But the Jedi's surface thoughts were calm and collected. 'Vocational habit.'

'I think perhaps I would be better off serving the order as a archivist.'

Tophur shrugged. 'As you wish. If you have no wish of becoming an Investigator, why did the Council assign you to this mission with me?'

Dien Dok'fur wrinkled his snout wryly. 'I requested it. I wished to further my understanding of other branches before making my choice.'

'A commendable decision, I suppose.'

Tophur's pad beeped. 'Looks like our would-be assassin is going to ground. Let's see what else he can help us dig up.'

* * *

The transport dropped down into the undercity, flying down narrow passages between crumbling edifices. It slowed as the gaps between the buildings shrank, reducing its speed until it was flying at a ten metres per second. Powerful searchlights stabbed out. Not even a trace of sunlight reached this part of the undercity, nor were there any lightglobes, leaving it in perpetual twilight. Most of the structures were millennia old. Once, they may have been impressive, towering structures, perhaps from the early days of the ecumenopolis. But now they were disused and abandoned except for the duracrete slugs, criminals and mutants.

This deep into the undercity, microclimates were common as warm humid air met cooler air from above. Wispy clouds were quick to form and disperse, leaving fog in their wake. As the transport dove even lower, it passed through a thick fog bank. As soon as it was hidden from view, it stopped, and quickly ascended, entering a hidden tunnel above the fog. A suspicious sentient would have queried why the fog never lifted from that particular area. But there was never anyone around to see it.

The transport rose three hundred metres up the tunnel before it turned off down a conduit almost twice as wide as the vehicle. Once a sewage pipe, it had long since dried up, leaving the interior encrusted with effluvia that had hardened to a solid surface. Several minutes later, it came out in an old, disused hangar. There were several other craft occupying the hangar, two of them smaller repulsorcraft, whilst the third was a large shuttle, its wings folded up on either side of the body.

Landing struts slid out of the fuselage, and the transport settled down gently next to the shuttle. The assassin stepped out as the engine powered down, followed by a pair of armour-clad Grans carrying blaster rifles. Their eyestalks swivelled back and forth as they followed the assassin across the hangar to a turbolift at the far end.

Tophur and Dien Dok'fur waited until they were in the turbolift before silently descending to the hangar floor. They had followed the transport through the conduit, landing a hundred metres from the exit and walking the rest of the way to the hangar.

There was a palpable sense of confusion emanating from his fellow Jedi that Tophur found very difficult to ignore. He simply didn't understand why they needed to sneak in, nor why they shouldn't ambush the assassin in the hangar. But then the Caamasi didn't have a crafty bone in his body. He was simply too kind hearted for it.

Another potential wasted. One of these days, Tophur was sure he'd either find a suitable partner, or the Jedi Council would stop trying to foist another Jedi on his lap. So far, he'd avoided the hints that he should take on a padawan. He just didn't like the idea of a child tagging along behind him. Especially not on the missions he often went on. It was simply too dangerous. Perhaps he should consider a ranger. At the very least someone who was capable in a fight.

The pilot, a human woman, hopped down from the transport as a pair of utility droids rolled over, and she began directing them through the maintenance checklist. The engines were powered down and fuel umbilicals hooked up to sockets on the transport's belly. She was so busy that she didn't notice the Jedi. Tophur reached out with the Force.

She yawned and shook her head, suddenly feeling incredibly drowsy. Without knowing why, she crawled into the back of the transport and lay down. She was fast asleep in moments.

Leaving the sleeping pilot behind, the two Jedi entered the turbolift. There was only one button still functioning, taking the turbolift between the 89th floor and the hangar. It ascended rapidly.

'I imagine Dax knows we're coming,' Tophur said.

'Are you certain? It was well hidden, and we only infiltrated this place by following the transport.'

'Exactly. I wouldn't put it past him to have it alarmed, in case intruders made it inside. We should be prepared when the doors open.'

Dien Dok'fur nodded. The two Jedi unclipped their lightsabers and held them ready.

The lift came to a stop on the 89th floor. The doors slid open. Tophur leapt out first, quickly followed by Dien Dok'fur. The turbolift opened out onto a large, vaulted corridor, the only source of light a big circular window at the far end, and that barely enough to cast the room in vague shadows, but there was enough to see that the floor and walls were covered in white-flecked black marble. Fluted columns ran down the sides, between which were darkened alcoves.

There was no one there. He could just make out a tight ball of emotions beyond the corridor, but there were no guards waiting for them. Tophur was immediately suspicious. He was sure their entry had been detected, yet whatever security measures were in place had yet to be activated. Dax would have done it. The Duros was paranoid about his security.

In the gloom, Tophur could just make out transparisteel blocks inside the alcoves. Taking out a hand-light, he flicked it on and approached one of the blocks. A droid head was encased within, an old HK model. It's eye slits glowed dimly, as if power was still being fed into it. Another block held a blaster pistol, whilst two more contained lightsabers. One was an archaic design, a cable trailing from the butt to a small, external power pack. The second was of a more familiar, double-bladed design.

'These appear to be antiquities,' Dien Dok'fur murmured. 'That lightsaber design alone is over a thousand years old. Is this Dax a collector of artefacts?'

Tophur shook his head. 'Not that I know of. He's too grounded in the present to care about anything like that.

'A client's private collection then?'

'Maybe.'

Leaving the artefacts behind, the two Jedi moved to the doors at the end. There was a faint murmur beyond. The assassin was talking to his employer. Nodding to Dien Dok'fur, Tophur reached for the handle and pushed the door open.

Light globes lined the walls, emitting a weak yellow glow to illuminate the room. A narrow crimson rug ran along the floor to a big black desk, before which stood the assassin. Someone was sat at the desk on the other side, but he was shrouded in darkness.

'I done task, Master.'

'Indeed you have. More than you realise. The funds will be transferred to your account post haste. However, I have one more request for you. If you succeed, I will triple your fee.'

'Good pay. What the catch?'

'Kill our two Jedi guests.'

The assassin whirled round, his vibrosword appearing in one hand.

'Stoopah Jeedai sleemo. Gladly kill you for bonus.'

The assassin leapt at them.

Tophur's lightsaber came on with a snap-hiss to block the phrik-alloy blade. He jumped back as the clawdite stabbed out with a small vibroblade in his other clawed hand. There was the sound of tearing cloth as the blade sliced through his robes. Tophur spared a glance to see the shoulder of his robe had been sliced open, though the blade had stopped short of his arm.

'Let's try that again, shall we,' Tophur said, dropping into a Niman ready stance.

The assassin charged in with a high sweep. Tophur blocked the swing and used the momentum to carry his saber through, only to find it parried on the small blade. A few times he aimed for the torso, only for the clawdite to deftly dodge the attack. One blow was too light, and only scored his armour down his side.

Tophur could sense Dien Dok'fur off to one side, his green lightsaber lit and ready to assist, but for now keeping away. He was glad of that. He didn't know the Caamasi well enough to attempt any joint attack without risk of injury.

Blaster bolts shot out from hidden passages on either side of the hallway. Tophur spun blocked one, sending it back into the darkness. He didn't know if it had hit the shooter, nor did he have time to check as the assassin came at him again. The second bolt was aimed at Dien Dok'fur. He deflected the bolt, and a second and a third. The shooter stepped out of the hidden passage, blaster blazing. It was one of the two grans. Dien Dok'fur's lightsaber was a blur as he blocked the bolts. He stepped in closer to the gran. His lightsaber sliced through the blaster rifle neatly. A Force push sent the gran crashing against the wall. He slithered down, unconscious.

The assassin was getting bolder as the fight drew on. None of his blows were having an affect on the Jedi Investigator. The few strikes he'd managed to make had only struck cloth, though his robes were now heavily tattered. He snarled ferociously and pressed the attack.

As the fight continued, Tophur switched to Soresu. He wanted to take the assassin alive, rather than dead. At most he only wanted to disarm his opponent. But with the ferocity of the assassin's attack, it was proving difficult to even disengage long enough to use the Force to incapacitate him.

Then the assassin made an error. He dropped his short blade fractionally. Tophur took advantage. His lightsaber came up. The blade sliced through his wrist. Hand and vibrosword dropped with a clatter to the floor.

The clawdite yelped in surprise and pain and froze, Tophur's lightsaber now pointed directly at his face.

'Surrender. Resist, and I'll take your other hand.'

The clawdite snarled, but made no move to attack. 'Sleemo Jeedai.'

'Dien Dok'fur, restrain him, if you would.'

The assassin's feet came off the floor as Dien Dok'fur strode toward him, one hand raised, his other still holding his active lightsaber.

Tophur strode toward the desk. Oddly, there was no sense of the being sat behind it. It was almost as if he didn't exist, though there was definitely a humanoid shape sat there. It was almost as if he had an excellent ability to hide himself from the Force. There was something there, a vague impression of a shape that backed up what he saw with his eyes. Despite his closeness, the shadows still hid his features.

'I thought it might have been Dax who sent the assassin. Obviously you're too tall for a Toydarian.'

The being laughed. 'How very observant. I see your famed investigatory powers have not been exaggerated, Tophur Rand.'

'You know me? I'm flattered.'

'One should always know one's enemies.'

'And you are?'

'Oh, I shan't tell you yet, Jedi. The game has only just begun. But we shall meet again, somewhere down the line.'

'I look forward to it.'

'No, you wont Jedi. Our meeting will be the end of you.'

Tophur opened his mouth to retort, but before he could speak, the shadows disappeared, revealing a protocol droid sat in the chair. Sparks shot out of the joints and the photoreceptors. He threw up an arm to protect himself, but as suddenly as the sparks appeared, they were gone. When he looked at the droid again, it looked as though it had been melted from within, plastic dribbling down the chestplate to coalesce in long rivulets. Both photoreceptors were cracked and dim.

Whoever had been using the droid to speak was gone, and whatever means he'd used to converse was now so much slag.

Tophur frowned at the droid. It was an elaborate setup. And for once, he didn't have a clue who it might be. Not even a glimmer in the force.

That alone was troubling.

* * *

**A/N: Review please!**


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